Roberts to sit out Mississippi State's opener over draft flap
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi State star Lawrence Roberts must sit out one game for accepting -- and later repaying -- expenses for a pre-NBA Draft workout.
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Roberts, who attended a Portland Trail Blazers workout before deciding to return to school, will miss the Bulldogs' game Nov. 11 against Fairfield in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic in Birmingham, Ala., the NCAA said Friday.
"I want to thank Lawrence and his family for their assistance as we have worked through this reinstatement process," Mississippi State athletic director Larry Templeton said.
Roberts, the Southeastern Conference's player of the year last season, averaged 16.9 points and 10.1 rebounds for the Bulldogs, who won the league's regular-season title and played in the NCAA Tournament. The forward applied for entry into this summer's NBA Draft but did not hire an agent.
Cynthia Roberts, the player's mother, said the Trail Blazers paid for his airline ticket, hotel room and meals. When he returned to school for his senior year, the money was repaid and the family provided the receipts to the NCAA.
He transferred to Mississippi State last season from Baylor after the death of teammate Patrick Dennehy.
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